On Sunday morning, McPherson sent a note to Mr. Burke, requesting
him to come down, as all the shearers were drunk on some of the
camels' rum, which they had obtained from the waggons. Mr. Burke
hereupon expressed his determination, which he had previously
mentioned to me, that he would leave the rum behind. Mr. Landells
objected to this, and insisted on the necessity of taking it on,
and told Mr. Burke, who was firm in his resolve, that he would not
be responsible for the camels. Mr. B. said he should do as he
pleased, and left the camp; and as soon as he was gone, Mr. L.
called me to take delivery of the Government things in charge, as
he intended to leave for Melbourne at once. He said that Mr. B. was
mad, and he was frightened to stay in the tent with him. He then
went off, telling me that he should deliver over the camels as soon
as he could find them. It appears that he went down to the station,
and on meeting the waggon-drivers on the road, told them that he
was about to leave, so that every one in the camp knew it in a very
short time. I should mention that everything was being got ready
for a start; and on my mentioning to Mr. Burke what had passed, he
said that he should take no notice of it until it was brought
officially before him. When Mr. Landells returned, he asked Mr.
Burke in my presence to dismiss him, which Mr. B. refused to do,
but said that he would forward his resignation if he wished it,
with a recommendation that he should receive his pay up to that
time. This did not exactly satisfy Mr. L., who wished to appear
before the public as the injured individual. He, nevertheless,
expressed to me several times his fixed determination to stay no
longer. He took an opportunity in the evening, in his tent, to give
expression to opinions of his, which would not tend, if listened
to, to raise a leader in the estimation of his officers. He said
that Mr. B. was a rash, mad man; that he did not know what he was